If you're a horror hound, chances are you already know the sensationally sexy Sadie Katz! This dirty blonde beauty has been a staple of the indie horror scene for years, appearing in dozens of horror films like Wrong Turn 6 and Blood Feast.
What you may not know is that she's much more than just another pretty face.Sadie is, in fact, an accomplished writer, director, and producer, having scripted the 2013 film Scorned, and self-produced a documentary titled The Bill Murray Experience—a film where she interviewed, among many others, Skin legend P.J. Soles!
I recently got the chance to sit down for a chat with this beautiful and talented triple threat about her career, and discovered her to be every bit as charming, self-effacing, and refreshingly foul mouthed as you all hoped she would be. So kick back, relax, and prepare to fall in love with this scream queen who might just make you scream with laughter!
Thrustin’ Hoffman: As an actress, writer, and director, do you have a preference for one over the others?
Sadie Katz: Oh gosh, you know what's so great about directing is you're in charge, finally, and what's cool is that you get to be in charge of the outcome. And also, the worst part about it is that you're in charge of the outcome. With acting, you kind of feel that you get to show up and listen to everybody, and at the premiereyou get to say, "Well, I did my job," but with directing the job never ends. It's a huge, huge obligation. So that's a long answer to say that I really like directing but it's a huge fucking responsibility.
TH: Sure, and I guess with acting you have a definitive time when you can say, "I'm done with this," whereas with directing you could literally drag the job out for the rest of time if you wanted to.
SK: Yeah, I mean, it took me almost four years to do my movie (The Bill Murray Experience). It was a year and a half of shooting, and a year in editing, and another year in deliveries and film festivals, so you have to really love your film. But at a certain point, you're just like, "I never want to talk about this film again."
With acting, you know, you shoot for three weeks, you become friends with everybody, then you get to show up at parties and everyone tells you how great you are. But with directing, it just consumes your life.
TH: As far as your directing goes, with your documentary The Bill Murray Experience, can you tell us a little bit about that. How it came about, and maybe a bit about your experiences working on it? I mean, like you said it took nearly four years to complete.
SK: Well, I was doing a lot of films and a lot of nudity and kinda just like, fucking around, and I wanted to do something that was sweet, too. Something that might make money, as well (both laugh). And everyone was like, "Oh, you should make a horror film," and I wasgoing through a rough time, I was up late at night, and I was going through a breakup, and I was really depressed, and I kept bringing up stories about Bill Murray.
Then I was like, "fuck, I wanna do a kind of lighthearted documentary,likeMy Date With Drew*but with Bill Murray." And not tobe a bitch but I'm one of the coolest chicks on the planet, I should know Bill Murray (both laugh). We would totally get along really well, so I started developing this idea. And normally when you say these ideas, no one believes you, but the next day I was like, "I'm gonna do a documentary on it and it's gonna be called The Bill Murray Experience." And I could even visualize the opening scene, which is exactly what my opening scene looks like.
But it was really hard to convince people that I was going to finish what I started just because people are like, "Well you're a blonde and you're an actress, and we don't really want to let you do something else." It was really weird because I kept pitching it to people and it was this really great idea, and people would be like, "So you're gonna stalk Bill Murray?" And I'd say, "No!" (Both laugh). I mean, it's funny, but it was really hard to get people on board. A lot of people were like, "Well, are you gonna show your boobs?" (Both laugh).
So that really got me to finish it, you know? Doing a film is hard work, whether it's a five million dollar film or a five thousand dollar film, it's nearly impossible to actually getit finished.
TH: Based on what you're saying, did you find that the hardest part of the entire process was not only getting people to buy into your vision, but convincing them to see why it was such a great idea for a film?
SK: Yes, a hundred percent, and of course, the guy who ended up giving me the money was my ex, who is very wealthy. We were going through a breakup, and I sold him on this by saying, "This will give me a boost to get on with my life and stop hating your fucking guts!" (Both laugh)
TH: Changing subjects a bit, how did you get involved with the new film Party Bus to Hell and what your experience was like working on that film?
SK: (Laughs) My managersent me the script and I was listed for a cameo where the bus driver's supposed to run me over at the beginning, and I was like, "What? No one's even gonna recognize me and that defeats the whole purpose of a cameo." (Both laugh). So I knew The Mahals (the film's producers) and I said to them, "I really want to play the bus driver," and they were like, "We can't afford you." So I called my manager and was like, "Pretty pretty please, I have to play the bus driver because she's fucking insane," she's this sex crazed demon that's driving them all to hell—which kinda gives it away—but I just said, "That part has me written all over it."
So they came back and said, "Will you do that much nudity?" and I'm like, "YES!" (Both laugh). So after some negotiation with The Mahals, who are really funny, I got to do the film in Vegas, which is kind of becoming its own little film center. Anyway, it's like the worst bad movie ever, which is exactly what it should be. Tara Reid opens the movie, so you know EXACTLY what you're getting. There's so much boobs, and blood, and it's like one of those movies from the 80s or 90s, it's so nostalgic. These are the movies that every 13-year old jerks off to (both laugh).
TH: How long did you spend in makeup every day getting all those upper body tattoos applied?
SK: They did it, like, so terrible. Normally you'd have a closed set and they'd put you in makeup, but The Mahals were like, "We're gonna go to a tattoo parlor where we know a guy." So I have all of these really burly guys, real tattoo artists, drawing all over me, and I'm like, "Why is it taking four guys to draw all of this on me?"
TH: So it was aneedlessly complicated process, you would say?
SK: (Laughing) Yeah. I mean, it was exciting for them getting to draw all over my body because I'm an actress so there's something sort of titillating and bad about that, but it was fun (both laugh).
TH: You've obviously done a lot of horror films, so how do you feel about being known as a“scream queen,” and do you findhorror fans to be as supportive and avid as they were of other scream queens in the past?
SK: I don't know because I think everyone's so nice, and it's so strange to me because they are just so loyal. Here's the thing, if you're watching a moviemade for half a million bucks, it better be a horror film. The audience just wants to have fun, and it's a whole culture, and I've found them all to be really nice. You go to these conventions and things and I just thank them for watching my movies, and they tend to be super nice and super loyal, and occasionally they're like super good looking guys too (both laugh).
TH: Of your many credits, is there anything you find yourself getting recognized for more than the others?
SK: Wrong Turn 6, for sure. That franchise, people like it, people get excited about it. Sometimes I wish I got recognized more, but I'm actually glad I don't because then I'd have to comb my hair every day and not be drunk in public (both laugh). But it's definitely exciting when people get excited about that because it's super embarrassing, and I love to be embarrassed, and I'm always like, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," you know, because what am I supposed to say, like, "You saw my vagina?" (Both laugh).
So there's something funny about that, I mean, I can be a serious person, butI like my life kinda silly and really ridiculous. I'm like a 13-year old boy (Both laugh).
TH: What are your thoughts on being immortalized here on Mr. Skin for your many nude scenes?
SK: Well, the one great thing that you guys do is you don't say anything negative. The site is actually super positive in that way...
TH: Thank you for noticing that, because that's been our philosophy from the very beginning and it's what we strive to do, so it's really nice to hear that.
SK: Yeah, I mean, it's not like you guys are rating the bodies, and there's something really kinda cool about that. I'm someone who, when I'm watching a movie and it gets to the sex scene, there's something really fucking exciting about seeing an actress nude. I know that's terrible to say, but I think there's something really fun about it. I feel like, if you're gonna do nudity, nudity is a part of life, and you guys are doing it well.
TH: Thinking back to the early part of your life, do you remember what the first nude scene you saw in a movie was, and did that have a lasting impact on you?
SK: I loved Poison Ivy. I don't know if that was the first, but I do know for sure that it was a big deal for me. That scene of her hooking up with the dad left a huge impression on me. And Red Shoe Diaries, too.
TH: That one was a big part of my sexual awakening as well (both laugh). So my last question for you is if there's anything else you’d like your fans to know or perhaps anyone that’s discovering you for the first time?
SK: Well, Party Bus to Hell is out at Redbox, and The Bill Murray Experience is streaming on Amazon, and if you watch it, please review it. It's such a cute movie. It's cute. It's fucking cute! (Both laugh). And I'm about to go into production on another film that I wrote called Another Effin' Clown Movie, which isBridesmaids meets Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and I promise it'll be hot chicks, boobs, and big laughs!
